Venetian blind structure, more particularly for doubled glazed sealed window unit

ABSTRACT

A venetian blind structure comprising a plurality of elongated slats pivotally mounted at their ends in a support frame and means for simultaneously pivoting said slats and for maintaining said slats in parallel planes, said means comprising a wheel secured to the pivot shaft of each slat, pins protruding from said wheel and extending through an opening in a reciprocable actuating member, each opening formed with rack teeth along one edge for engaging said pins, the pins adapted to abut transverse edges of said opening to limit the angular position of said slats, and a mechanism for moving said reciprocable member in two directions. The blind structure is more particularly adapted to be mounted within the air space of a double glazed sealed window unit.

United States Patent Roy [451 Nov. 7, 1972 [541 VENETIAN BLIND STRUCTURE, MORE PARTICULARLY FOR DOUBLED GLAZED SEALED WINDOW UNIT [72] Inventor: Fernand Roy, 405 Vanier Street,

Ville Brossard, Quebec, Canada [22] Filed: June 22,1971

[21] Appl. No.2 155,487

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 2, 1970 Canada ..087134 [52] U.S. Cl ..49/64, 49/84 [51] Int. Cl. ..E06b 7/08 [58] Field of Search ..49/64, 82, 84, 37, 87, 74; 160/107 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 340,017 4/1886 Stevens...- ...49/84 2,903,257 9/1959 Perrone ..49/82 3,201,832 8/1965 l-lordis et a1. .L ..49/64 3,210,809 10/1965 Streeter, Jr. ....,...49/64 4/1968 I Thompson ..49/74 X 8/ 1969 Toth ..49/82 X Primary Examinew-David J. Williamowsky Assistant Examiner-Philip C. Kannan Attorney-Pierre Lesperance [57] ABSTRACT A venetian blind structure comprising a plurality of elongated slats pivotally mounted at their ends in a support frame and means for simultaneously pivoting said slats and for maintaining said slats in parallel planes, said means comprising a wheel secured to the pivot shaft of each slat, pins protruding from said wheel and extending through an opening in a reciprocable actuating member, each opening formed with rack teeth along one edge for engaging said pins, the pins adapted to abut transverse edges of said opening to limit the angular position of said slats, and a mechanism for moving said reciprocable member in two directions. The blind structure is more particularly adapted to be mounted within the air space of a double glazed sealed window unit.

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures VENETIAN BLIND STRUCTURE, MORE PARTICULARLY FOR DOUBLED GLAZED SEALED WINDOW UNIT The present invention relates to. a venetian blind structure and, more particularly, to the means for operating the slats of said structure. The tiltable slats of venetian blind structures adapted to be mounted between the glass panels of a double glazed .window sash and, more particularly, of a permanently sealed sash, must be free of operating deficiency and must preferably have a useful life as long as the window unit itself. Therefore, the venetian blind structure must be of simple and sturdy construction and, more particularly, its mechanism for simultaneously tilting the slats must be of foul-proof operation.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a venetian blind structure which has the aboveenoted advantages and which is therefore more particularly designed for incorporation in a double glazed window unit and, more specifically, into a permanently sealed double glazed window unit, wherein access to the internal mechanism of the venetian blind is not possible.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an operating mechanism for the slats of a venetian blind structure, which is of simple construction, is relatively frictionless in its operation and is easy to assemble during manufacture. I

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a venetian blind structure of the character described, in combination with a permanently sealed double glazed window unit, wherein the venetian blind structure is located between the two glass panes.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a structure of the character described, provided with an easily accessible and easily actuated operator member, which permits fine adjustment of the inclination of the slats.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a blind structure of the character described, in which the slat tilting mechanism is completely hidden from view.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a combined venetian blind structure and window unit in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan section taken along line 33 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partial plan section on a larger scale;

FIG. 5 is a partial longitudinal section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 6 is a partial section taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a section similar to that of FIG. 6, but showpanes and by an external cover 4 applied against the external faces of the two glass panes 2 and surrounding the.unit. The cover 4 is in the form of a channel with the web extending across the edges of the panes 2 and across the outer face of spacer bar 3.

A sealing compound 5, preferably incorporating polyisobutylene, is interposed between the marginal face portions of the glass panes 2 and the lateral faces of the spacer bar 3 and between the edges of the glass panes and the edge cover 4. Spacer bar 3 constitutes a support frame for the two glass panes 2.

The tubular spacer bar 3 is filled with dehydrating granular material 6 and is in communication with the hermetically sealed inside space 7 by means of openings not shown. i

The venetian blind structure, generally indicated at 8, is entirely mounted within space 7 and is consequently protected from dust and never needs cleaning.

The structure 8 comprises a plurality of louvers or slats 9 arranged in spaced parallel relationship extending across the unit 1 and provided with means to tilt the slats simultaneously while the slats in parallel planes. The slats can be rotated through about one-half turn. Each slat 9 is provided at its two ends with axially aligned stud shafts 10 and l 1, each having an inner longitudinally slit portion l0,1l' for receiving the end of the slat 9.

Stud shafts 10 and 11 are provided with washers l2 and journalled in holes made in elongated support frame members 13. Each support frame member 13 is preferably an extruded member having legs 14 engaging with a snap action, inturned lips 15 protruding inwardly from spacer bars 3.

The frame member 13 has inwardlyextending side flanges 16 overlying the ends of the slats 9 and acting as a central inwardly extending flange 17 depending from a strip 18 having a snap fit with the lips 15 of those portions of the spacer bar 3 extending at right angles to the portion fitted with the frame members 13 supporting the pivot shafts of the slats 9.

A wheel 19 is secured, or. integral with, each stud shaft 11 and is located within the chamber defined by frame member 13 and spacer bar 3. Each wheel 19 has three pins 20, as shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7, which ex tend from the free face of the wheel and are dislocated along a circular arc coaxial with the wheel and are disposed at substantially equal angles with the outer two pins of the set extending at little less than apart and such that a diameter of the wheel will be tangent to side surface portions of said pins.

The three pins of each wheel 19 extend through an opening 21 of an actuator bar 22. Each opening 21 is spaced from the next opening and is provided along one side parallel to the longitudinal edges 23 of actuator bar 22 with inwardly extending rack teeth 24 meshing with the pins 20. The bar 22 is guided for longitudinal reciprocating movement within the chamber defined by the frame member 13, its legs 14 and the spacer bar 3.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the centered position of the actuator bar 22,the slats 9 are substantially transversely horizontal, the unit 1 being vertically disposed, and

the center pin 20 engages between the two rack teeth- 24. When the actuator bar 22 is lifted, as shown in FIG.

7, the lower rack tooth 24, which-engages the center light.

From the centered position shown in FIG. 6, it is obvious that the actuator bar 22 can be lowered, thereby rotating the wheels in clockwise direction until the two outer pins 20 come into abutment with the transverse topedge 26 of opening 21, again defining a positive stop or-limit against furtherlowering movement of the actuator bar.

The actuating systemenables all the slats 9 to be tilted simultaneously one way or the other from their horizontal light-admitting position, while the slats are maintained in parallel relationship one with respect to the other in all of their angular positions.

I The actuator bar 22 is actuated from the exterior of window unit by the following means.

A shaft 27 has an enlarged central portion 28 rotatably mounted in a flanged sleeve 29, which enters a circular hole made in the outer wall of the spacer bar with its flange 30 applied against the outer surface of said outer wall and disposed between saidouter wall and the edge cover 4.

. Sleeve 29 is externally threaded to receive an inwardly threaded cover or cap 31, which is screwed tight against the inner surface of the outer wall of spacer bar 3 with'the interposition of an O-ring 32.

Central portion 28 of shaft 27 also has O-rings 33 for sealing contact with theinside of sleeve 29. Cap 31 extends through a circular opening 34 made in the inner wall of spacer bar and is therefore in contact with the actuator bar 22. The inner end of shaft 27, which protrudes from cap 31, is provided with an eccentric pin 35 engaging a transverse elongated slot 36 of actuator bar 22, whereby rotation of shaft 27 causes reciprocating movement of the actuator bar.

The outer end of the shaft 27 extends through edge cover 4 into a casing 37, which is secured to the outside of the edge cover 4 by means of screws 38 engaging locating bosses 39 of the flange 30 of sleeve 29.

A gear wheel'40 is secured to the outer end of shaft 27 and is located within casing 27. This casing extends forwardly of the unit 1 and houses a small diameter gear wheel 41 and a large diameter gear wheel 42, gear wheel 41 meshing with gear wheels 40 and 42.

Gear wheel 42 protrudes from a slot made in the facing plate 43 of casing 37, so that its teeth may be directly engaged by an oerators finger to rotate gear wheel 42, which in turn rotates through the gear train of the shaft 27 in the required direction for moving actuator bar22 up or down to adjustably incline the slats 9. I

The above-described system is simple to use and there is a fluid-tight sealing between the shaft and the inside space 7 of the window unit. The unit 1 is adapted to be installed in a window frame with the facing plate 43 protruding inside the room through the window frame, indicated at 44 in FIG. 2, so as to be easily accessible.

The pinsand rack teeth system described is frictionless in operation and enables to provide venetian blind structures in large window units, while still requiring a minimum of operating force. In fact, the rack teeth and pin system requires much less force to operate than a conventional pinion and rack system. Shaft 27 is preferably made of synthetic resin to avoid transmission of heat or cold from the inside to the outside of the window unit. Each stud shaft 11, together with its wheel 19 and pins 20, is preferably made in one piece and of molded synthetic resin.

The window unit, together with the blind structure, is very easy to assemble during manufacture. In this connection, it is to be noted that, because there are two rack teeth per opening 21 and three pins 20 adapted to engage the opening 21, it is very easy to properlyalign all the slats by inserting the center pin between the two rack teeth. It is known that properalignment of the slats using as actuating mechanism a pinion and rack teeth system, is very difficult to obtain during manufacture.

The glass panes, when used in a sealed window unit, are preferably made of tempered glass.

While the venetian structure is particularly designed to be used within a permanently sealed double glazed unit, it is obvious that it could also be used in a doubled glazed window unit wherein at least one glass panel is removable.

What I claim is:

1. A venetian blind structure comprising a square or rectangular frame, a plurality of slats, each having a pair of axially alignedpivot shafts fixed to opposite ends of each slat, said pivot shafts journalled in opposite sides of said frame and pivotally supporting said slats in spaced parallel cooperating relationship for pivotal movement between a closed position and an open position, all of said pivot shafts at one end of said slats extending through one of said frame sides, a wheel fixed to the protruding end of each shaft, a set of pins protruding from each said wheel, said pins of each set located along a circular are extending through a maximum of and equally angularly spaced therealong,

said circular arc coaxial with the axis of rotation of said pivot shaft, an actuator bar mounted for guided longitudinal movement longitudinally of said one frame side and having a plurality of spaced openings each receiving a set of pins, each opening having a longitudinal edge forming rack teeth meshing with said pins, each opening having a pair of spaced transverse edges adapted to abut the two outer pins of the set, and means to longitudinally displace said actuator bar to thereby tilt said slats simultaneously, while keeping said slats in substantially parallel planes said transverse edges when abutting both outer pins limiting further rotation of the wheel and shaft.

2. A venetian blind structure as claimed in claim 1,

I wherein said frame sides form guiding surfaces for said actuating bar.

3. A venetian blind structure as claimed in claim I, wherein said means to displace said actuator bar include a drive shaft mounted in said one frame side, a crank pin carried by said shaft, said actuator bar having a transverse slot receiving said crank pin.

4. A window unit comprising a pair of glass panes, a spacer frame disposed between said glass panes and maintaining the same in spaced-apart parallel relationship, an edge cover frame surrounding said frame and said glass panes along the outer marginal portions thereof and applying said glass panes against said spacer frame, a sealing material interposed between said spacer bar and said glass panes, such as to determine a substantially hermetic air space between said glass panes, a plurality of slats each having axially aligned stud shafts secured to the opposite ends of said slats, elongated support members secured to said spacer frame on two opposite sides of said window unit, at least one of said support members defining an elongated chamber with said spacer frame, said support members pivotally supporting the stud shafts of said slats, whereby said slats can pivot within said air space, wheels secured to each stud shaft at one end of said slats and disposed within said chamber, each wheel carrying a set of pins located on a circular arc coaxial with said stud shaft and extending through a maximum of 180, said pins equally angularly spaced along said circular arc, an actuator bar slidably mounted and guided within said chamber and having longitudinally spaced openings receiving the pins of each wheel, each opening having one longitudinal edge forming rack teeth for meshing engagement with said pins, each opening having a pair of spaced transverse edges adapted to abut against the outer pins of each set to limit pivotal movement of said slats and limit longitudinal movement of said actuator bar, and operator means accessible outside of said window unit to reciprocate said actuator bar.

5. A window unit as claimed in unit 4, wherein said actuator means include a drive shaft extending through said edge cover frame and spacer frame and rotatably mounted within said unit, a crank pin at the inner end 7 of said drive shaft engageable with a transverse slot in said actuator bar, and a gear wheel on the external portion of said drive shaft on the outside of said window unit.

6. A window unit as claimed in claim 5, further including a bearing member for said drive shaft comprising a sleeve having a flange extending between said edge cover frame and said spacer frame, said sleeve extending through said spacer frame and being externally threaded, a cap threaded on said sleeve and engaging said spacer bar, and first sealing means between said sleeve and drive shaft, and further including second sealing means between said bearing member and said spacer bar.

7. A window unit as claimed in claim 5, further including a casing removably secured to said unit on the outside of said edge cover frame, said shaft extending within said casing and a gear within said casing to rotate said shaft, said gear having its periphery protrudinthrough a slot of said casing,

. A window unit as claime 11'! claim 4, wherein said support members have inwardly protruding flanges overlying the end portions of said slats to form a light shield at the ends of the slats.

9. A window unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said support members have a snap action removable engagement with said spacer frame.

10. A window unit as claimed in claim 4, further including light shielding elongated members in snap action removable engagement with the side of said spacer frame parallel to the longitudinal axes of said slats and having an inwardly protruding flange adapted to overlie the edge of the outermost slats of the series of slats in the fully tilted positions of said slats. 

1. A venetian blind structure comprising a square or rectangular frame, a plurality of slats, each having a pair of axially aligned pivot shafts fixed to opposite ends of each slat, said pivot shafts journalled in opposite sides of said frame and pivotally supporting said slats in spaced parallel cooperating relationship for pivotal movement between a closed position and an open position, all of said pivot shafts at one end of said slats extending through one of said frame sides, a wheel fixed to the protruding end of each shaft, a set of pins protruding from each said wheel, said pins of each set located along a circular arc extending through a maximum of 180* and equally angularly spaced therealong, said circular arc coaxial with the axis of rotation of said pivot shaft, an actuator bar mounted for guided longitudinal movement longitudinally of said one frame side and having a plurality of spaced openings each receiving a set of pins, each opening having a longitudinal edge forming rack teeth meshing with said pins, each opening having a pair of spaced transverse edges adapted to abut the two outer pins of the set, and means to longitudinally displace said actuator bar to thereby tilt said slats simultaneously, while keeping said slats in substantially parallel planes said transverse edges when abutting both outer pins limiting further rotation of the wheel and shaft.
 2. A venetian blind structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frame sides form guiding surfaces for said actuating bar.
 3. A venetian blind structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means to displace said actuator bar include a drive shaft mounted in said one frame side, a crank pin carried by said shaft, said actuator bar having a transverse slot receiving said crank pin.
 4. A window unit comprising a pair of glass panes, a spacer frame disposed between said glass panes and maintaining the same in spaced-apart parallel relationship, an edge cover frame surrounding said frame and said glass panes along the outer marginal portions thereof and applying said glass panes against said spacer frame, a sealing material interposed between said spacer bar and said glass panes, such as to determine a substantially hermetic air space between said glass panes, a plurality of slats each having axially aligned stud shafts secured to the opposite ends of said slats, elongated support members secured to said spacer frame on two opposite sides of said window unit, at least one of said support members defining an elongated chamber with said spacer frame, said support members pivotally supporting the stud shafts of said slats, whereby said slats can pivot within said air space, wheels secured to each stud shaft at one end of said slats and disposed within said chamber, each wheel carrying a set of pins located on a circular arc coaxial with said stud shaft and extending through a maximum of 180*, said pins equally angularly spaced along Said circular arc, an actuator bar slidably mounted and guided within said chamber and having longitudinally spaced openings receiving the pins of each wheel, each opening having one longitudinal edge forming rack teeth for meshing engagement with said pins, each opening having a pair of spaced transverse edges adapted to abut against the outer pins of each set to limit pivotal movement of said slats and limit longitudinal movement of said actuator bar, and operator means accessible outside of said window unit to reciprocate said actuator bar.
 5. A window unit as claimed in unit 4, wherein said actuator means include a drive shaft extending through said edge cover frame and spacer frame and rotatably mounted within said unit, a crank pin at the inner end of said drive shaft engageable with a transverse slot in said actuator bar, and a gear wheel on the external portion of said drive shaft on the outside of said window unit.
 6. A window unit as claimed in claim 5, further including a bearing member for said drive shaft comprising a sleeve having a flange extending between said edge cover frame and said spacer frame, said sleeve extending through said spacer frame and being externally threaded, a cap threaded on said sleeve and engaging said spacer bar, and first sealing means between said sleeve and drive shaft, and further including second sealing means between said bearing member and said spacer bar.
 7. A window unit as claimed in claim 5, further including a casing removably secured to said unit on the outside of said edge cover frame, said shaft extending within said casing and a gear within said casing to rotate said shaft, said gear having its periphery protruding through a slot of said casing.
 8. A window unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said support members have inwardly protruding flanges overlying the end portions of said slats to form a light shield at the ends of the slats.
 9. A window unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said support members have a snap action removable engagement with said spacer frame.
 10. A window unit as claimed in claim 4, further including light shielding elongated members in snap action removable engagement with the side of said spacer frame parallel to the longitudinal axes of said slats and having an inwardly protruding flange adapted to overlie the edge of the outermost slats of the series of slats in the fully tilted positions of said slats. 